'I had to climb out windows': Frustration mounts as Buffalo residents struggle to recover from deadly blizzard

Buffalo residents continue digging out after historic, deadly blizzard

Residents are continuing to dig out after a historic and deadly blizzard covered parts of the Buffalo, New York, area under feet of snow nearly a week ago.

BUFFALO, N.Y. - It's been nearly a week since a deadly and powerful blizzard crippled the Buffalo, New York, area, and a state of emergency remains in effect across Erie County.

A driving ban that was in effect for Buffalo has since been lifted and replaced with a travel advisory as 450 pieces of equipment continue to work around the clock to remove feet of snow from roads across the region.

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And while cleanup efforts are ongoing, some residents say they feel not enough is being done to help those trapped in homes and neighborhoods since the blizzard began.

"We've been stuck in the house since last Friday," Buffalo resident Sahmaya Prescott told FOX Weather correspondent Robert Ray on Thursday morning. "It's been cold, the snow. I had to climb out windows. We can't go nowhere."

Prescott said she and her neighbors have been trying to get help to no avail.

"We try to ask people for help when they're going down the street. Nobody is helping us," she said. "It's kind of driving us crazy now. We've been in this snow for almost a week now. We can't do nothing."

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Several feet of snow fell across many parts of the region, including at Buffalo International Airport, which measured nearly 52 inches of snow.

The airport was forced to shut down during and after the storm but was able to reopen on Wednesday. However, passengers are urged to call their airline before heading off to the airport to ensure a flight hasn't been delayed or canceled.

Holiday travel was snarled by the powerful blizzard and bomb cyclone as it moved across the country before and during the Christmas holiday. Southwest Airlines was particularly hard hit with cancellations and delays, and passengers have been stranded across the country since the storm began.

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'It's been a rough, rough week'

Bill Smith, a Buffalo resident of 35 years, tells FOX Weather's Robert Ray this blizzard is the worst winter weather event he's seen. Smith notes it took days to exit his home due to doors being blocked by snow.

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Buffalo resident says 2022 blizzard worst winter storm he's seen

Bill Smith, a Buffalo resident of 35 years, tells FOX Weather's Robert Ray this blizzard is the worst winter weather event he's seen. Smith notes it took days to exit his home due to doors being blocked by snow.

Bill Smith told Ray he's been a Buffalo resident for about 35 years, and he's never seen anything as bad as the blizzard that crippled the region nearly a week ago.

"It's been a rough, rough week," he said. "Staying in the house. Can't get out of the doors. We had to try and shovel out and everything, and we finally got out. This is my second day out."

Smith said when the storm started, people began to abandon their vehicles in the middle of the streets because driving was just too difficult, which is part of why many roads in the Buffalo area remain unplowed.

"What happened around here is people leave their cars in the middle of the street," he said. "And once that happens, (the plows) can't come down the streets. And people have been trying to help out. We come out here and start digging and stuff. And it's just, the snow is just too heavy. The snow is heavy."